Aisha Sharma had always known that dreaming came with a cost.
Born into a conservative family in a small village in Rajasthan, she grew up surrounded by traditions that dictated a woman's life before she even had the chance to dream. Girls in her family were expected to marry early, serve their in-laws, and live a life confined to the four walls of their homes. But Aisha was different. She had dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was a child an impossible dream in a place where even completing school was a struggle.
Her father, Omkar Sharma, was a man of rigid beliefs. A farmer by profession, he valued honor and obedience above all else. For him, daughters were meant to be protected, controlled. His wife, Sunita Sharma, was a quiet woman, a reflection of what years of submission did to a person. She loved Aisha, but fear kept her from fighting for her.
The only person who had ever encouraged Aisha's dreams was her grandfather, Vishwanath Sharma. A retired schoolteacher, he had often whispered to her.
"Padhai kabhi bekaar nahi jaati, beta. Agar sapne dekhne ki himmat hai toh unhe pura karne ki bhi honi chahiye."
("Education never goes to waste, child. If you have the courage to dream, you must have the courage to fulfill it too.")
But when he passed away, Aisha was left with no one to defend her ambition.
Every day was a battle.
She would wake up before dawn to help with household chores before heading to the local government school. While other girls were taught stitching and cooking, she would secretly read her elder brother Rakesh's old science textbooks.
At night, when the village slept, she studied under the dim glow of a kerosene lamp. With no proper coaching, no extra help, just sheer determination, she prepared for the toughest medical entrance exam in the country NEET.
The day the results were announced, she could barely breathe as she typed her roll number at the only cyber café in the nearby town.
Rank 78
Her hands trembled. Tears blurred her vision. She had done it.
But victory did not come easy.
When she showed the acceptance letter to Royal City Medical College, one of the most prestigious medical colleges in the country, her father's reaction was instant and brutal.
"Tu soch bhi kaise sakti hai ki hum tujhe kisi sheher bhejenge?"
("How dare you even think that we will send you to a city?")
Aisha's throat was dry, but she forced herself to speak. "Baba, please... this is my dream. I worked so hard for this."
"Aurat ki jagah ghar mein hoti hai, hospital mein nahi!"
("A woman's place is in the home, not in a hospital!")
"No, Baba! A doctor's place is in a hospital, and I will be one!" Aisha's voice wavered, but her resolve didn't.
Omkar Sharma's anger flared, his hands clenching into fists. He turned to his wife. "Sunita, samjhao isse. Khandaan ki izzat mitti mein milane ka iraada hai iska."
("Sunita, make her understand. She wants to throw our family's honor in the dirt.")
Sunita opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked at her daughter with helpless eyes, but Aisha wasn't going to back down.
For three days, Aisha refused to eat. She locked herself in her room, clutching the acceptance letter like a prayer. On the fourth day, fate intervened in the form of her uncle, Mahesh Sharma.
Mahesh, her father's younger brother, was an educated man a government officer who had seen the world beyond their village. He convinced Omkar to let her go.
"Bhai Saheb, agar isne bina kisi coaching ke itni badi safalta hasil ki hai, toh sochiye yeh kitni aage ja sakti hai."
("Brother, if she has achieved such great success without any coaching, just imagine how far she can go.")
Omkar's jaw was tight. "Aur agar kuch galat ho gaya? Sheher ka mahaul accha nahi hai."
("And what if something goes wrong? The city environment is not good.")
"Tab bhi woh humare ghar ki beti rahegi, jo sirf izzat badhayegi, kam nahi karegi."
("Even then, she will always be our daughter, who will only bring us honor, not disgrace.")
Omkar had finally relented, but not without conditions.
"You will stay in the hostel, speak only when necessary, and return home every semester break. No unnecessary friendships, no distractions. And if I hear even a whisper of disrespect, you come back."
Aisha had nodded, swallowing her pain. Even a caged freedom was better than none.
And so, with nothing but a single suitcase and a lifetime of dreams, she stepped into the city.
--
Meanwhile, in the Heart of the City...
At Royal City Hospital, Dr. Aryan Rajput was finishing his fourteenth surgery of the day.
In the operating room, time moved differently. Seconds stretched into lifelines, and decisions meant the difference between life and death. Aryan was a man who didn't hesitate. His hands were precise, his mind sharper than a scalpel, and his heart though hidden behind a wall of professionalism was burdened with the weight of every life he tried to save.
At a young age, he had achieved what most doctors only dreamed of. Newspapers called him a "miracle surgeon," though he's specialized in surgeries, he also handles basic medical cases. He really is hardworking and young medical students idolized him. But beyond the fame, beyond the success, there was a man who barely remembered what it meant to live for himself.
His world was the hospital. Patients. Surgeries. Research.
Love? Marriage? He had no time for such things.
The only person who could ever pull him out of his relentless work was his mother, Dr. Meera Rajput, a retired neurosurgeon who had once been the first woman to lead the surgical department at Royal City Hospital. She was the only one who saw the cracks in Aryan's seemingly perfect life.
That evening, as Aryan washed up after a long shift, his assistant reminded him of an upcoming event.
"Sir, don't forget Royal City Medical College has invited you as the chief guest for their first-year student seminar."
Aryan sighed. He had declined these invitations countless times. But this time, his mother had insisted.
"Beta, kab tak sirf kaam karoge? Jao, naye doctors ko inspire karo. Tum bhi kabhi ek student hi the."
("Son, how long will you only work? Go, inspire new doctors. You were a student once too.")
Aryan exhaled. "Fine. Confirm my presence."
Little did he know, this one event would set into motion something even he, a man who predicted every outcome, could never foresee.
---
Far away in her hostel room, Aisha stared out of the window, watching the city lights in the distance. This was the first time in her life she had tasted freedom, no matter how restricted.
She was in the city of dreams now. And she would prove to everyone her family, her village, and most importantly, herself that she belonged here.
---
I hope you like this chapter. A vote would be appreciated ❤️
Write a comment ...